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WASHINGTON - Catholic bishops have emerged as a formidable force in the health care overhaul fight, using their clout with millions of Catholics and working behind the scenes in Congress to get strong abortion restrictions into the House bill. They don't spend a dime on what is legally defined as lobbying, but lawmakers and insiders recognize that the bishops' voices matter — and they move votes. Representatives for the bishops were in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Capitol suite negotiating with top officials last Friday evening as they reached final terms of the agreement. Earlier in the day, Pelosi, a Catholic...

Serrin Foster / Cecile Richards Washington D.C., Nov 10, 2009 / 06:47 am (CNA).- Planned Parenthood has condemned the addition of the Stupak/Pitts Amendment to the U.S. House’s proposed health care reform legislation, saying it would undermine private health plans that cover abortion. One pro-life leader said the criticism, which characterized pro-lifers as hijackers, was an ‘over the top’ attempt at self-promotion.Cecile Richards, President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, claimed in a Nov. 7 statement that the Stupak Amendment to Congress’ proposed health care bill has further reach than the Hyde Amendment, which bars federal funding for...

Washington D.C., Nov 6, 2009 / 06:48 pm (CNA).- A memo from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops says that the Ellsworth Amendment to the U.S. House’s proposed health care reform bill is not a “meaningful compromise” but instead is a “money-laundering system” that does not address pro-life concerns about federal funding of abortion.The memo, written by U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities associate director Richard Doerflinger, discusses H.R. 3962 and the Ellsworth Amendment. The amendment claims to prevent federal funds from being used for abortions, CNSNews.com reports. It requires that federal money be segregated...

November 5, 2009MEMORANDUMTo: Congressional staff From: Richard Doerflinger Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities U.S. Conference of Catholic BishopsRe: The Ellsworth amendment to H.R. 3962 on abortion: Initial observationsThe House leadership is asking members for reactions to new abortion language proposed by Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-IN) for H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act. The Ellsworth amendment (henceforth “the amendment”) is said to be a “compromise” addressing pro-life concerns raised against the current bill.  However, on examination it is not a meaningful compromise. It addresses none of the substantial criticisms offered by the Catholic bishops’ conference and other pro-life...

Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards Washington D.C., Nov 4, 2009 / 03:44 pm (CNA).- Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, sent an urgent message this week to the group's base asking for pro-abortion Catholics to defy the U.S. bishops, who are campaigning against the current versions of health care legislation on Capitol Hill because they fund abortion.In the email, Richards says that “as I write this, the bishops have asked all the Catholics in the country to contact their legislators, asking them to alter current health care legislation to include anti-choice amendments.” “The bishops have inserted...

US bishops conference mounts late drive against 'unacceptable' health-care reform October 29, 2009 The US bishops' conference is mounting a late drive to secure passage of a pro-life amendment to the health-care reform bill. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is asking pastors all across the country to include an insert in their weekly bulletins, urging parishioners to call their Congressional representatives and encourage a vote for a pro-life amendment. The USCCB's pro-life office has indicated that it will press bishops to promote the dissemination of these bulletin inserts. The insert exhorts parishioners to act immediately. "Congressional votes may...

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 29, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A new coalition of Catholic pro-life organizations is calling for a massive reform of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) and urging Catholics to boycott the upcoming November collection.The CCHD is the domestic social justice arm of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and focuses on supporting groups that work in community organizing.  They have been accused over many years of supporting radical left-wing groups who advocate a distorted un-Catholic view of social justice.  The organization primarily raises funds through an annual nationwide parish collection, this year scheduled for November 22nd.Scandal...

This past Monday I reported that the USCCB Department of Communications is listed as a "principal partner" on the "So We Might See" Web site. So We Might See is a coalition of religious groups that is petitioning the Federal Communications Commission to investigate "hate speech."   Since the page on the organization's Web site displaying the petition also contained specific allegations that Rush Limbaugh incited violence against two Mexican men in 2006, I reported that the USCCB was also supporting an investigation of Limbaugh.   Helen Osman, Secretary of Communications for the USCCB, responded to my article in...

Rep. Patrick Kennedy / Archbishop Timothy Dolan New York City, N.Y., Oct 27, 2009 / 09:55 pm (CNA).- Joining the response to U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy’s charge that the Catholic bishops are spreading discord on health care reform, Archbishop of New York Timothy Dolan has said the congressman’s remarks were “sad, uncalled-for, and inaccurate” and has asked for an apology.In an interview with CNSNews.com, Rep. Kennedy (D-RI), son of the late U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, had accused the Catholic Church of fanning “the flames of dissent and discord” because Catholic bishops declared that they will oppose the proposed health...

As the days grow shorter, the leaves fade, baseball winds down and the autumn air turns ever more crisp, the countdown continues to Stateside Catholicism's Fall Classic: the bishops' November Meeting, which begins in Baltimore on Monday, the 16th. Among agenda items including the long-in-the-making marriage pastoral, a text on "reproductive technologies" and the final votes on the re-translated Roman Missal (coming 2011-ish to a parish near you), the body will vote on chairs-elect for several key committees, including those overseeing clergy and vocations, migration, and divine worship. While the standing committees have always been a significant element of...

Washington D.C., Oct 26, 2009 / 07:28 pm (CNA).- The Department of Communications of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has said it did not join a petition to the FCC which called for discussion over “hate speech� and its alleged role in violence. Some critics of the petition have cast it as an effort to shut down radio show hosts like Rush Limbaugh. The Department of Communications told CNA on Monday that they had sent their own letter noting the “serious constitutional and regulatory problems� associated with regulating alleged hate speech... http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=17495

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development collection is next month. CCHD might as well stand for Catholic Cash Helping Democrats. Thirty to 50% of the collection goes to community organizing and helped elect politicians like Lorretta Sanchez and Barack Obama. Please urge Catholics to BOYCOTT THE COLLECTION. Spread this YouTube video far and wide!

A petition to the Federal Communications Commissioner (FCC) to investigate popular conservative commentators such as Rush Limbaugh for purported "hate speech" has caused a stir among Catholic circles after it was revealed that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) communications office is backing the initiative. One conservative commentator has even cited evidence that the religious coalition behind the petition, of which the USCCB communications office is a part, may be affiliated with the federal government's recent campaign against conservative media. "So We Might See," a group billing itself as a national interfaith coalition against hate speech in media,...

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Parishioners at Our Lady of the Atonement in San Antonio, the largest Anglican-use Catholic parish in the U.S., have plenty to talk about these days. "Everyone is excited, but they have lots of questions," said the pastor, Father Christopher Phillips, about the Vatican's Oct. 20 announcement of a special structure for Anglicans who want to be in full communion with the Catholic Church. Father Phillips -- once an Episcopal priest and now a Catholic priest who founded Our Lady of the Atonement 26 years ago -- doesn't have detailed answers yet for the parish's 500 families. He...

Washington » Cohabitation, divorce, contraception and same-sex unions are undermining the traditional meaning and purposes of marriage, the nation's Catholic bishops warn in an upcoming statement. "We are troubled by the fact that far too many people do not understand what it means to say that marriage -- both as a natural institution and a Christian sacrament -- is a blessing and gift from God," the bishops say in a "pastoral letter" to be adopted at next month's U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops meeting in Baltimore. National Catholic Reporter, an independent weekly newspaper, obtained a draft of the 57-page document,...

Cardinal Justin Rigali Washington D.C., Oct 8, 2009 / 05:06 pm (CNA).- The U.S. Catholic bishops sent an open letter to Congress today, stating that they will “vigorously oppose” the health care bills unless they prevent taxpayer funds from paying for abortion, make care affordable for everyone and ensure that immigrants have access to the health system.Cardinal Justin Rigali, Bishop William Murphy and Bishop John Wester penned the letter on behalf of all the U.S. bishops to "express our disappointment that progress has not been made on the three priority criteria for health care reform that we have conveyed...

As the Senate Finance Committee prepares to vote on health care legislation, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops have made it known that none of the existing bills are adequate. All of them include abortion funding. “So far, the health reform bills considered in committee…have not met President Obama’s challenge of barring use of federal dollars for abortion and maintaining current conscience laws,” the USCCB wrote in its Sept. 30 letter to members of the Senate. “These deficiencies must be corrected.” The bishops’ letter refers to all of the existing health care reform bills currently on the table –...

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The Catholic Campaign for Human Development has canceled grants to two organizations after learning about their involvement in activities contrary to church teaching and is studying the actions of two other groups. Ralph McCloud, executive director of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' anti-poverty program, told Catholic News Service Sept. 23 funding was canceled for two San Francisco-based organizations, the Chinese Progressive Association and Young Workers United. The Chinese Progressive Association, which works to improve working conditions and advance social and economic justice for Chinese immigrants, was set to receive $30,000. Young Workers United, a coalition advocating...

New, stunning, evidence has just been reported by LifeSiteNews.com that the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) is funding groups that advocate abortion and prostitution.  CCHD, the social justice arm of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which ceased funding ACORN last year, has responded by defunding two of the four organizations, while the fate of the other two remains undecided.The evidence about the CCHD was unearthed by Bellarmine Veritas Ministry after their intensive study of CCHD grants from 2008 to 2010 (LifeSiteNew.com has links to the list of grants).  Bellarmine Veritas Ministry began a national campaign in late August to investigate the...

President Barack Obama. Credit: White House, Pete Souza. Related articles: Bringing Facts and Principles to the Health Care DebateThe “Morning-After Pill”, Rape Victims and Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care ServicesGuide for 2008 Federal Election - Canadian Conference of Catholic BishopsLetter To The Bishops Of The Catholic Church On The Pastoral Care Of Homosexual Persons Washington D.C., Sep 10, 2009 / 05:29 pm (CNA).- On Wednesday evening, President Barack Obama stated in his speech on health care reform that "no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions." According to one U.S. Bishops' Conference official, the president's...

As Obama prepares to address the nation Wednesday on his health care plan, American Life League challenged the nation's Catholic bishops to be prepared to shut down Catholic health care and make it clear that they prefer this action to compromising with the intrinsic evils currently contained in various Obamacare proposals. "Obama speaks tonight. Christ speaks always. When it comes to health care reform which road will our Catholic bishops take?" the group asked in a Washington Times ad. The ad highlighted six principled positions Catholic-supported health care must include: opposition to abortion, contraception, sterilization, human embryonic stem cell therapy,...

My September Foundation Watch is up on the Capital Research Center website. It's called "Left-Wing Radicalism in the Church: The Catholic Campaign for Human Development." Here's a summary: Each November around Thanksgiving every Roman Catholic parish takes up a collection for the nonprofit Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), a program run under the auspices of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Last November, under intense pressure from Catholic parishioners, CCHD finally stopped collecting money for the fraud-ridden radical group ACORN. But the Bishops’ Conference continues to support other radical community activist groups with similar goals, such as...

This area includes information and resources for the assembly with implementation and practice of the new Roman Missal.

The nation’s Catholic bishops have told Congress that they oppose H.R. 3200, America’s Affordable Health Choices Act, as it currently stands, because the health-care reform bill would mandate funding and insurance coverage for abortion. In an August 11 letter to members of the House of Representatives, Cardinal Justin Rigali, chairman of the pro-life committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (U.S.C.C.B.), told lawmakers that health-care reform must “respect human life and rights of conscience in the context of abortion.” “Much-needed reform must not become a vehicle for promoting an ‘abortion rights’ agenda or reversing longstanding policies against federal funding...

The immensity of the nation’s Catholic healthcare system could add clout for Catholic bishops as they advance their opposition to healthcare reform as proposed now. The Catholic Church demonstrated its legislative influence this year when it threatened to close Catholic hospitals if the Freedom of Choice Act passed, which effectively scuttled plans to introduce the legislation. The legislation would have defined abortion as a “fundamental right” and nullified conscience protections for healthcare providers. The Catholic health network includes 624 hospitals, 499 long-term nursing facilities, and 41 hospices nationwide, including 11 of the nation’s largest healthcare systems, according to the Catholic...

The new executive director of Call to Action is Jim FitzGerald, formerly of Planned Parenthood. Here are some selected excerpts about him from an article in the National Catholic Reporter: “What’s missing in our church is the freedom to talk without fear about issues like abortion or gay marriage or stem cell research. “That’s what I love about Call to Action: Everyone’s at the table,” he says, quoting the theme for Call to Action’s November conference. “It’s easy to be in conversation with people who think like you. But if we only do that, we miss out on something that...

Washington D.C., Aug 21, 2009 / 11:14 am (CNA).- After years in the making, the English translation of the new Roman Missal is nearing its completion and is now awaiting the final approval of the bishops and the Vatican. In an effort to begin educating the faithful and clergy on the new translation, the U.S. bishops have launched a website. The new website, which was launched on August 21, includes background material on the process of the development of liturgical texts, sample texts from the Missal, a glossary of terms and answers to frequently asked questions. A press release...

The president of Planned Parenthood, Cecile Richards, has penned a scathing editorial, published today in the Huffington Post, in which she sets her sights on the U.S. Catholic bishops, slamming them for their opposition to the abortion mandate in the Obama health care bill, and to abortion in general. "Does anyone else see the irony in the U.S. bishops wanting to define universal health care as covering everything except for what they don't support?" writes Richards. "Since when does universal health care mean denying comprehensive reproductive health care supported by the majority of Americans?"

An article entitled “Bishops' Health Care Far From Universal” recently appeared in the Huffington Post and was widely distributed in the Anti-Life blogosphere. Written by Cecile Richards, the President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, it wrongfully and disrespectfully attacked the Catholic Bishops of the United States as somehow “anti-woman”. However, it also revealed the truth that she and her colleagues insist is some sort of a “Myth” manufactured by the Pro-Life community; Abortion is a part of the current Health Care Reform Plan proposals. Ms. Richards and her cohorts are feeling the heat. The lie behind the denial...

August 19, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The president of Planned Parenthood, Cecile Richards, has penned a scathing editorial, published today in the Huffington Post, in which she sets her sights on the U.S. Catholic bishops, slamming them for their opposition to the abortion mandate in the Obama health care bill, and to abortion in general."Does anyone else see the irony in the U.S. bishops wanting to define universal health care as covering everything except for what they don't support?" writes Richards. "Since when does universal health care mean denying comprehensive reproductive health care supported by the majority of Americans?"Richards then goes...

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments today on remarks made yesterday by Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood: Planned Parenthood is getting restless knowing that its abortion-happy health care reforms are on the skids. Cecile Richards is now accusing the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops of seeking to make “American women second-class citizens.” And that’s just the danger they are doing at home. Abroad, “their hard-line opposition to women’s rights also endangers millions of women around the globe.” Why they haven’t been locked up, she does not say. Richards was recently summoned to the White House to discuss health...

(Sent to all member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate) cc: White House and Department of Health and Human Services Dear Senator/Representative: On behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), I write to outline our policy priorities and to express hope that the serious efforts of the Congressional committees will bring genuine life-affirming reform to the nation’s health care system. The USCCB looks forward to working with you to reform health care successfully in a manner that offers accessible, affordable and quality health care that protects and respects the life and dignity of all people...

Washington D.C., Aug 15, 2009 / 05:25 pm (CNA).- As the American health care debate continues, the U.S. Catholic bishops have launched a webpage to promote support for a “truly universal” health policy that respects human dignity.The page on the website of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) includes letters for bishops to Congress, videos, facts and statistics, frequently asked questions, and links for contacting members of Congress.According to a USCCB press release, letters to Congress include USCCB pro-life chairman Cardinal Justice Rigali’s August 11 letter which criticized abortion provisions in the House version of health care legislation. The...

If ever there were a time when Catholics should not trust the United States government, it is now. The president, his administration, and the congressional leadership are removing all the abortion restrictions put in place since Roe v. Wade. And yet, the bishops are backing a proposal to give the federal government complete control over the healthcare of every American citizen.   Abortion is not the only reason Catholics should have deep misgivings about giving the government even more control over their lives. The healthcare bill itself provides evidence of how "reform" will extend that control in ways contrary to...

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has released a letter condemning the House Democrats' healthcare plan, alleging that the plan's purported prohibition on federal funds for abortion is a "legal fiction." Of course, the House healthcare bill may not be the last word on abortion coverage in the federal healthcare plan, should one pass. But it's unlikely that the Democrats, including President Obama, will heed the bishops' and other social conservatives' call for an outright ban on abortion coverage in health insurance plans that are subsidized with federal funds, including the public option. And that, along with mounting Democratic support...

Friday, August 07, 2009 1:37 PM Posted today at the USCCB website (h/t to The Catholic Key blog): Lines in the Sand By Tom Grenchik August 7, 2009 As members of Congress head home for their August recess, we now have a better picture of where everyone stands on health care reform. While the U.S. bishops support genuine health care reform, there is a clear line in the sand between our bishops and some congressional leaders. On July 17, Bishop William Murphy, Chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, wrote to Congress saying: “The USCCB...

Reps. Rosa DeLauro and Tim Ryan Washington D.C., Jul 24, 2009 / 01:13 pm (CNA).- An official with the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Pro-life Activities has attacked a federal bill promising to prevent unintended pregnancies and reduce abortions, characterizing it as a "Planned Parenthood Economic Stimulus Package." She said increased abstinence among youth, not contraceptive access, should be encouraged.The bill, co-sponsored by Reps. Tim Ryan (D-OH) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), is titled "Preventing Unintended Pregnancies, Reducing the Need for Abortion and Supporting Parents Act." Its sponsors have described it as a "common ground" initiative that would appeal to people...

As an American arrived in the Vatican post that'll oversee the English-speaking church's global transition to the controversial new rendering of the Roman Missal, the US bishops did their part to keep the process moving, approving each of the four action-items on the new text presented last month in San Antonio... albeit on mail ballot given the meeting's "inconclusive vote" from the floor: The translation of the Order of Mass II (of the Roman Missal) received 191 votes in favor, 25 against and five abstentions. The translation of the Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Intentions passed by...

I strongly disagree with the prudential opinion expressed by Bishop Howard Hubbard: "The US bishops have given their enthusiastic support to the Waxman-Markey bill, a piece of legislation designed to address climate change, which Republican opponents have characterized as entailing "the largest tax increase in American history." The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 proposes a complicated series of schemes known as "cap and trade," ultimately imposing taxes on the carbon-dioxide emissions that are cited as a major factor in global warming. Even before the 1,200-page legislation was made available to Congress, the members of the House...

In response to Joe Feuerherd’s question about whether the president might “write off the bishops,� President Obama had this to say. He said that he would not “write off the bishops,� and gave his reasons. “Number one, one of the strengths of our democracy is that everybody is free to express their political opinions, and I take people’s opinions seriously. I’m the President of all Americans, not just the Americans who happen to agree with me,� said the president. “The American bishops have a profound influence in their communities, in the church, and beyond,� he continued. “What I will...

For more than a decade, Catholic health care workers have been the targeted for unionization by some of the country’s most powerful, radically anti- life union bosses, efforts that have included slick television advertising campaigns that demonize Catholic hospitals as a public health risk. For the unions, unionization of Catholic health care workers would be the goose that never stopped laying golden eggs until it died a horrible death from exhaustion. With 600,000 health care workers in 600 Catholic hospitals, the annual money flow into union coffers could easily reach $ 500 million per year, an awfully large amount of...

  For those who may be lamenting the seeming resurgence of the Catholic Left in the Age of Obama, I would like to point out some good news: This year's spate of bishops' assignments have been quite heartening. Since the beginning of 2009, there have been ten appointments announced by the Vatican. All of them should be encouraging to those who grumble about the "bishops this" and the "bishops that."   Just as encouraging should be the record number of bishops who were outspoken during the presidential campaign in defense of unborn life, and those who publicly criticized Notre...

San Antonio, Texas, Jun 21, 2009 / 06:03 pm (CNA).- The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued a statement on Thursday to clarify the Church's stance on how it relates to the Jewish community. The statement was jointly issued at the spring meeting of the USCCB by the Committee on Doctrine and Pastoral Practice and the Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. Archbishop Wilton Gregory, chairman of the Bishops’ Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs spoke of the pastoral concern at hand. “The 2002 document, Covenant and Mission, raised many questions among Catholics in the United States about...

Monday June 22, 2009 U.S. Bishops Issue Statement of Support for Notre Dame’s Bishop D'Arcy By Kathleen GilbertSAN ANTONIO, Texas, June 22, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Following their spring meeting in San Antonio last week, the U.S. bishops today issued a statement of support for Fort Wayne-South Bend Bishop John D'Arcy's "pastoral concern" for the University of Notre Dame. The bishop made national and international headlines earlier this year after he publicly rebuked Notre Dame's decision to honor President Obama. "The bishops of the United States express our appreciation and support for our brother bishop, the Most Reverend John D'Arcy," reads the brief statement...

Want to monitor proceedings at the U.S. bishops’ spring general meeting now underway in San Antonio? Here’s the link to the USCCB’s Media Relations page on Twitter. Happy Tweeting!

SAN ANTONIO (CNS) -- The U.S. bishops will have to poll members missing from their spring meeting in San Antonio before it's known whether they have approved liturgical prayers, special Masses and key sections of an English translation of the Order of the Mass. Five texts being prepared for use in English-speaking countries failed to get the necessary two-thirds votes of the Latin-rite U.S. bishops during the June 18 session of the bishops' meeting. With 244 Latin-rite bishops in the United States eligible to vote on the questions, the required two-thirds would be 163. With 189 eligible bishops attending the...

To some Catholics, U.S. bishops have chartered the correct course by focusing on liturgical matters at their three-day spring meeting, which begins today in San Antonio. More than 150 bishops from across the nation will fine-tune the English translation of the Mass to conform more closely to its Latin original. They'll seek more effective ways to spread their stated-but-little-known ministry goals. And they'll approve a new Mass of Thanksgiving. But to others, the bishops' agenda is off base and might add to their perceived ineffectual leadership in dealing with the foremost Catholic university. About 80 of roughly 200 bishops condemned...

Washington DC, USA (MetroCatholic) Catholic News Service (CNS) – an agency of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops - is the world’s largest Catholic news organization of its kind. It was created in 1920 in order to serve as a reliable voice for communicating the Church’s message to a global audience, and today CNS generates news items and editorial pieces that are reprinted in more than 200 Catholic publications worldwide.A success story? Not exactly.In a piece published on the popular web portal Catholic Exchange, [full Story available here: http://catholicexchange.com/2009/06/11/119389/ ] author and columnist Louie Verrecchio outlines “CNS’ failure to...

How the New Missal is Being Translated, and Why Posted Jun. 10, 2009 11:42 AM || by Dr. Jeff Mirus || Bishop Arthur Serratelli of Paterson (New Jersey) is the chairman of the US Bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship. Last October he addressed the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions on the significance and goals of the revision of the Roman Missal, currently in progress. The revision is proceeding according to the principles set forth in 2001 in Liturgiam authenticam, an instruction of the Holy See which replaced the document in force since 1969, Comme le Prévoit, now regarded as seriously...

Pope Benedict XVI / St. Jean Vianney Washington D.C., Jun 9, 2009 / 01:18 am (CNA).- The U.S. bishops’ conference has set up a website to help mark the Year for Priests by providing prayers and other resources. Pope Benedict XVI designated the Year to begin on the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, June 19. His announcement also designated St. John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests, as the Universal Patron of All Priests. According to a press release from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Secretariat for Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations has set...